Soul Requisition
by Disturbedvixen
Summary: Hiei finds himself in a demon's clutches. The demon wants to ressurect the saint beasts, but to do so, it takes demon souls. He's got Hiei's and turned Hiei human. Can Hiei fight the demon as a human?(sequel to Revenge of the Abandoned)FLAMES ACCEPTED!
1. Prologue

**                        =^.^= ~~PROLOGUE**~~ =^.^=

Koenma sat in his big chair chewing absent-mindedly on his pacifier and drumming his chubby toddler fingers on the desk that he sat behind.  He had finished writing up important papers over an hour ago.

"I'M BOOOORED!" he screeched at last, accidentally dropping his favorite pacifier.  "Ack! My binky!" He retrieved it, wiped it off on his shirt and popped back into his mouth.  "Humph.  I'm still bored off my royal fanny."  He crossed his arms and pouted.

Ogre walked in balancing a plate of muffins in one hand and held a small leather book in the other.  "Koenma, sir, would you care for some muffins?  They're fresh!"

"I'm too bored for muffins!"

"What?!" Ogre exclaimed in alarm.  "No one can be too bored for _chocolate_ muffins!" He wafted the chocolaty scent towards the sulking toddler.

"NO!" Koenma slammed his fists on the desk repeatedly.  "No, no, no, no!  Don't you understand Ogre?! Chocolate is BORING with a capital B!"  He glared at the ogre who stared back at him.  "And so are you—you're boring too," the young prince added as a sort of after thought.

Ogre set the muffins on the desk.  "Then I suppose if they're too boring for you, sir, is it okay if I can eat them?" 

"I don't care." He watched as Ogre grinned and bit into a muffin's chocolaty goodness.

"Sir, you have no idea of what you're missing!" He set the leather book down to take a muffin in both hand.

"What's that?" Koenma asked suspiciously, pointing to the book.

"Uh, nothing overly important, sir," Ogre said hastily, reaching to get the book back.

"Then if it's nothing, why don't you let me see it?" Koenma grabbed it and held it out of the ogre's way. "I bet it's your  diary!  Hee hee hee, let's see what Ogre's hiding!"

"But sir--"

Koenma opened it.  "_Botan looks good in her pink kimono_." He narrowed his eyes at Ogre with a knowing grin on his face.  "What's this? Do you like Botan?"

"Uh. . .well. . .you see. . .that was. . ."

"_'Koenma shouldn't be mad because I ate his ramen when he was in the bathroom.  It was mine! I made it after all'_.  Hey! _That's_ where it went?!  You said that I ate it without knowing it because I was so busy!"

Ogre laughed nervously.  "Well. . ."

"and this!  What is _THIS_?!"

Ogre cowered nervously.  He hoped Koenma didn't read the part about him accidentally dropping his new binky into the toilet and only wiping it off as he handed it back to him.  He was mad at the prince at that time and didn't care as he watched Koenma put it into his mouth.  He shuddered to think about the extensive number of spankings he would get for it.

"Why didn't you tell me this before?!" Koenma exploded after pausing to read.

Ogre threw himself onto his knees at Koenma's feet with his hands clasped together to beg forgiveness.  "I'm so sorry, Koenma, sir!  It was an accident!"

"How can you _accidentally_ forget to tell me about his?! Are you that mundane?  Somebody stealing some dark artifact from Dad's super secret chamber even I don't know about can't be that easily forgotten about!"

Ogre blinked several times.  "Oh, _that_.  I did sort of forget about that.  Chocolate muffins can do that to a guy."

Koenma took the folded piece of paper out.  "Which dark artifact is it? It just says 'dark artifact'.  Which one?"

"I don't know! I just know that some book was taken and possibly some other ones."

"Book?!  Is it the book I'm thinking about?"

"What book are you thinking of, sir?"

"The B-Black Mortality!"

"I'm not sure.  Is it bad?"

"Yes! Only one person who's strong enough to handle the book can perpetrate such nastiness that it can cause Dad and me to die! Dad and me are immortal! The whole of Ningenkai and Reikai will be mixed with Makai! There will be such utter chaos, not to mention the mixing of breeds! There will be half demons! Those kinds of demons are so unstable and dangerous!"  He rubbed his hands together. "This is great!"

Ogre choked on a bite of muffin.  "_Great_?  How is the risk of dying great, sir?"

"This'll be something cool to watch! We'll get Yusuke on the case!"  Koenma dug in his desk and found a compact communicator and contacted Botan.  "Yo Botan! We've got a case for our Spirit Detective!"

"What is it, did you lose another goldfish this time?" Botan replied, grinning.

"No, the Super-duper-evil Makai spellbook and possibly some other stuff got stolen from Dad's chambers!"

"_The_ spellbook?"

"There's no other spellbook!"

Botan grimaced.  "Ick, that's not good.  What does it look like?"

"I don't know.  Once the barrier to Makai was built, we lost what all we remembered of it.  Come down here and help me look for it!  We've got some information on it somewhere!"

"Yes, sir! Botan, over and out!"  Her face disappeared as she turned off her communicator.

"Whew, that was  fun for a little bit.  I'm getting hungry.  Ogre, give me one of the muffins!"

Ogre's eyes widened.  "Sorry sir, I ate them all!"

"YOU WHAT?!"

Ogre covered his arm and flinched.  "I'm sorry, you said I could have them and they were sooo good!"

"You didn't even save one! That's a spanking for you, Ogre!"

"Sir! I'M SORRY!"

**A/N:**_ Yes, this is the sequel to my Revenge of the Abandoned incase any of the reviewers from that noticed.  If you haven't read it, then in the rest of the story, you won't know who Seyumi is and exactly how she and Kurama came to be.  If you don't feel like reading it, you can email me and ask questions later on.  Thank you and please review this story!   Oh, I need help coming up with a good title for this.  If anyone has a better suggestion for the title, please tell me! Thanks in advance._

**Flames are accepted!**


	2. Threeinone Mission

**DISCLAIMER: **_I totally forgot about this!  This disclaimer will last throughout the entire story!  I don't own YuYuHakusho, but I own Seyumi and own anyone else that isn't of YuYuHakusho.  My characters are my own and I didn't steal from anybody.  Flames are accepted so please review!_

_~~~~   =^.^=_

The morning sun barely colored the sky or lit the treetops near Genkai's temple and Kuwabara was already complaining.  It had to be some kind of record for him.

"Six o'clock in the friggen morning! It's too early for me to be up and it's way to late for a slumber party!"

Yusuke hated being up this early on a Saturday as much as any warm-blooded kid but his mother had waltzed in drunk at 4 and woke him up.  He was having such a good dream too, so who was Kuwabara to complain?  "Nobody even asked you to come, dumb ass! Me? I _had_ to come because I'm a Spirit Detective, but here you are, an idiot who shouldn't be whining since you had a choice.  I suggest you shut your mouth or I'll shove my foot up your ass," Yusuke growled.

"It's a beautiful morning. Why waste it by being irritable?" someone said from behind.  Anyone could have recognized the gentle voice.  

"What are you saying, fox boy?" Yusuke asked, turning.

"I said what I said. I meant no insinuation."

"Riiight."

"So where's the dwarf?" Kuwabara asked.  "Is he in the bathroom or doing something stupid?"

"For someone who supposedly hates Hiei, you sure have a reason to ask where he is, eh?" Yusuke said.  "Ya know, secretly, I bet you have a crush on him."

"WHAT?!"  The two teens were about to get in a fistfight but Botan interrupted them by clearing her throat.

"Children, behave!" Botan said.

"Who're you calling a child?" Kuwabara mumbled.  He glared up at her and saw Yukina beside Botan.  He noted that her eyes were red-rimmed.  "Yukina!" he exclaimed happily. He scrambled to his feet to show off for her.  He struck what he called his "Babe-getting" pose,  (Yusuke called it 'having something up yer ass.)  And made his face look like he was constipated, which was supposedly his cool-guy look.  "What's wrong, babe, I'm here. You don't have to cry because you missed me," he said, getting the wrong idea of things, as usual.

"Kazume, it isn't you that I'm crying over," Yukina said softly, looking up at him.

"Then what is it?"

Yukina's lower lip trembled.  "It's . . .it's . . ." She began to cry, the tear jewels dropping to the grassy ground.

"Look what you did now," Yusuke said.  "I hate waterworks."

"Please, I called you here to tell you about your new mission.  It's a three in one mission," Botan said, trying to desperately stop Yukina's crying and to get the two teens' attention, both of which failed.

"Don't care! If you're going to wake me up this early for one of diaper-brain's stupid missions, you can kiss my ass and go to Hawaii!" Yusuke said, crossing his arms, knowing that his statement made no sense but didn't care.

"Just listen to her," Kurama commanded. "Behave your age and you will be treated as a an adult."

Yusuke stopped, stared at him, and became quiet except for the grumbling under his breath.

"We have a major problem regarding the barrier protecting the living world from Makai," Botan said.

"Again?! There's demons are all like broken records!" Yusuke moaned.  "What do we have to do this time, more Saint Beasts?!"

"If only it was that easy and that the mission only went in one simple direction like that.  There's more to that then beating up some demon. In this case, we can't kill the demon until he or she has restored the damage."

"Okay, so we can catch the demon, tie 'em up and force them to fix everything!"

"It isn't that simple! Let me put it in simpler English for you," Botan sighed exasperatedly.  "I'll start at the beginning.  A few days ago, we got a report at Reikai telling us that a demon found a weak spot in the barrier and escaped."

"What was it?" Kuwabara asked.  He hadn't been paying attention.

"Think! Do you think there are bunnies and Candy and pixie fairies in pink tutu's in Makai?" Yusuke demanded.

"There's bunnies in Makai?" Kuwabara asked, amazed.  "Wow."

"There's demons, stupid! Why the hell do I even bother with you?!" Yusuke groaned.

"Oh, okay." He paused.  "Are there demon bunnies?"  Yusuke groaned again and pushed Kuwabara away from him.

"Is anyone even listening to me?" Botan demanded.

"I am, if it makes a difference," Kurama said.

"Me too," Seyumi said from beside him.  She had been silent the entire time.

"Then I guess I'll tell you two.  Where was I?" Botan asked.

"You were interrupted at the part when you said a demon escaped through the barrier," Seyumi supplied.

"Thank you.  The demon that escaped from Makai broke into King Enma's secret chambers and stole some shadow artifacts."

"I stole them, didn't I? They should be useless now," Kurama said.

"She said shadow artifact," Seyumi corrected.  "What're those?"

"Shadow artifacts are worse than the dark artifacts.  The dark artifacts can destroy Ningenkai if the wrong person gets a hold of it.  If anyone gets a hold of a shadow artifact, even a person with a good heart can destroy the world.  The Shadow artifacts are very manipulative," Botan explained.

"What was stolen?" Kurama asked.

"A spell book called the Black Mortality was stolen."

"The black utility?  What is that? Is it like a black toilet or something?" Kuwabara interrupted.

Botan glared at him.  She took out her oar, preparing to give Kuwabara what he deserved.

"Botan, stop!" Kurama exclaimed and held up a hand.

"I-I'm sorry, but with all the stress Lord Koenma put on me with doing all this and I'm so worried about Hiei, that I just snapped."

"Hiei?" Seyumi asked.  "What's wrong with him?"

Botan sighed.  "Hiei's been gone for over a month.  Normally, it wouldn't be anything important since he does this all the time for one thing or another but something of his was sent to us."  She shook her head slightly.  "It's not a pretty sight."

Kuwabara took no notice of how upset Botan was and plunged on.  "So what's the black utility?"

"It's the Black Mortality.  Only someone with the ability to manipulate their Spirit Energy through in animate objects or lower level organism can use the Black Mortality to do whatever they want to," Botan said.  "You know, like Kurama can do with plants but the Black Mortality needs souls to do what the controller wants, even if they want to control plants.  The bigger the demand, the more souls it needs.  It's so strong that it can turn demons into humans, humans into demons or anything.  It can control over a hundred human minds at a time if it wants.  It's like a super-power Jagan eye."

"That's kind of stupid," Seyumi said thoughtfully.  "If you're strong enough to control the Black Mortality, can't you do most of these things yourself?"

"It depends.  You need a certain extent of strength to be able to control it, but lets say you wanted to rule all the worlds.  You can't do that with force only," Kurama said reasonably. "I suppose that's where the Black Mortality comes in."

"Do you think Hiei was the one that broke into Reikai?  Sometimes he seems to want to do these things just to kill humans like Kuwabara." Yusuke asked.

"It can't be him," Yukina said quietly, silently taking the remark as a personal insult.

"Why not?"

Yukina sniffed sadly and looked at Botan.  Botan walked inside the temple and returned holding a black sheath.

"Here," she said, handing it to Kurama.

Kurama took it and pulled the blade out of the sheath.  It was a katana but bloodstained.  "That's odd," he said slowly.  "People who carry blades of any kind know to wipe the blood off."  

Attached to the tip of the blade was a blood-spattered headband that looked like it was once snow white.  Painted on the headband were the symbols for death and pain.  He closed his eyes and sheathed the katana.  He kissed Seyumi briefly on the cheek, who was close to tears.

"You see," Botan said, "the three things to do is to stop the demon, get the artifact back and reverse whatever was done, and. . . and find Hiei."

Kurama took the katana into the temple, to the alter and placed the blade upon it.  He lit some incense and placed it into the bowls of pure sand.  He sat on the silk pillow before the alter, lowered his head and prayed silently to Kamisama for Hiei's health, hoping that some how, the little fire demon was okay, despite the fact that all evidence pointed out that Hiei was dead.  He stood and watched as Seyumi did the same.  Surprisingly, Kuwabara and Yusuke did the same.

Seyumi lay her head on Kurama's chest and put her arms around his waist.  "Is Hiei really . . .you know . . ." she whispered to him so Yukina wouldn't hear.

"I honestly don't know, but I can't guarantee it," Kurama whispered back.  

"Hiei, I just got to know you and now you're gone," Yukina mourned.  She covered her face.  Kuwabara patted her awkwardly on the back, not sure of how to handle a crying girl.

**A/N:**_ This is supposed to be a little angsty.  I hope you enjoy this story! Please tell me if you think it sucks and if there's anything I can add to it to make it better, please let me know!  Thanks in advance and please review._


	3. Zenchi

The black-haired fire demon opened his eyes to complete darkness.  For a second, claustrophobia took over him because of the inability to see.  The feeling passed quickly.  He lifted his arm to take his headband off concealing his Jagan and found that his arm shook uncontrollably. He managed to control it and tried to touch his throbbing head.  The headband was gone.  In its place was a bandage wrapped around his head.  He sat up.  An overhead light turned on.

"You're awake!  It's okay, lie back down.  You haven't healed yet," a female voice said in a strange accent.

The voice obviously came from beside him, but the words seemed so far away.  Even so, the words pulsed in his head, giving his headache an extra boost.

"Healed from what, exactly?" Hiei asked.  He was too tired and sore to put on his typical attitude.

"Well, there was a severe burn on your arm, but I treated it.  There were a lot of other injuries, but unfortunately, my brother kept me from doing much more," the female confessed. 

"Where am I?"  Hiei looked around, but the movement of his neck made him dizzy.  He lay back down and groaned weakly.

"Shh, don't talk."  The female dabbed at his forehead.  She leaned over him to rewrap the bandage around his head.  Hiei took comfort in the gentle touch.  For a wild second, he thought it was Seyumi.  He looked at the female demon.  Her silky raven hair was braided back.  Her violet eyes gave her an exotically dark and mysterious look.  She was beautiful in her own demonic way.  The violet eyes caught Hiei's crimson gaze.

"Where am I?" Hiei asked.

"The City of Ghosts and Apparitions.  Have you heard of this place?  You don't seem to be a native of Makai or this city."

"I was born in Makai but I live in the human world."  Why was he telling her all this? It didn't make sense but somehow he felt that he needed to distribute information about himself to receive some of his whereabouts and about her.

"So you've heard of this, then.  Perhaps you know that two demon traitors destroyed the saints that acted as our Gods. Many know . . ._knew_ them as the Saint Beasts," she continued.

"Saint Beasts? I think I knew of them.  Isn't Genbu one of them?"

"Then you _do_ know of them! But how?"

"I had to fight them once." 

The female demon was quite for a few seconds. "Don't say that in this place.  My brother will kill you . . .or worse."

"Rhianon!" a sharp voice shouted, making Rhianon jump.  She looked up at the figure and frowned.  "Can't you wait? He's still injured."

The male demon scowled and shoved her out of the room.  He looked down at Hiei.  "So, you're the demon traitor who destroyed our saints.  He was tall and roguishly handsome with his auburn hair cropped short, giving the look of a punk.  He grinned at Hiei.  "I know who you are.  Hiei Jaganshi.  I read your mind when we found you unconscious."  His voice was low and gentle, much like Kurama's voice, but with an evil tone to it and with an accent.  He seemed to be speaking with the accent of the ancient language.

"So rude of me not to introduce me.  I am Zenchi.  Zen for short.  My little brother here is Sai."  A smaller demon walked forward. 

Sai looked down at him blankly.  "Zenchi, what are you going to do?  Are you going to kill him?"

Zen smiled.  "No, I'm going to give him a worse treatment.  Hiei, if you don't do this willingly, no further harm will come to you."

"Two words: Hell no."  Hiei struggled to his feet.

"What can you do against me?  He saw Hiei flex his right arm.  "You can't summon your dragon at that level of Spirit Energy you're at."

Hiei knew this, but he could still use his high speed.  He began to run from them since he couldn't fight.  Suddenly, he stopped and clutched his ribs which now felt like they were on fire.  "What. . .did you do to me. . .?!" he sputtered, doubled over and unable to breath.

"I manipulated your mind to think you were badly injured.  In truth, the most that's ailing you is a bruised head and scratched arm.  Your brain doesn't know this.  It's amazing, the Black Mortality is.  I can even make you into the lowest lifeform known in all of Makai."  Zen grinned and walked casually towards the fire demon.  "You know what that is, don't you?  You aren't dumb."

Hiei, knowing defeat, could do nothing.  For the 2nd time in less than a year, he felt completely helpless. Hiei cursed silently to himself.

"No need to use foul language.  You're not going to die," Zen said in a teasing voice.__


	4. Hiei found

**Disclaimer:  I don't own anything!**

**~~Thank you all for your reviews!~~**

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"Ladies, please, for the last time, I'm running late!  I can't have detention today!"

"But Suiichi—"

Kurama moved through the crowd of fan-girls, gracefully avoiding each ones' grasp while managing to keep his face neutral.  He even managed to keep one arm full of his schoolbooks with his free hand thrust casually into the pocket of his school uniform.  He managed to make it to class without being late.  He sat and took out his homework to add a few finishing touches to it. Just as the bell rang, Seyumi sat down and straightened the skirt of her uniform.  She pulled her silver hair from her pretty face and muttered to herself as she went digging through notebooks for the previous day's assignment.

"You aren't very organized, are you?" Kurama teased.  He took a notebook to help her look for it.  He found it wedged between a few love notes.  He took the homework out and turned it in. He held up the notes.  "These. What are these?"

Seyumi looked briefly at them, then at the look on Kurama's face.  She smiled at the serious look in his emerald eyes.  "I don't know. You know I get a few a day from the more poetic human boys." She shrugged.  "I didn't get a chance to put them away."

"You keep these?"

Seyumi bowed her head.  "They make me laugh. I put them away to look at them when I need something to laugh at." She straightened and eyed him, giving him her own angry look.  "Now what about _your_ love notes? You don't see me getting all mad and jealous over _those_."

"I dispose of them."

"Is that what you do with the ones I give you for the fun of it?"

Kurama looked blankly at her.  "You wrote some?"

"A few. I was bored and I wanted to see if I could make you laugh.  Sorry for trying." Seyumi turned her head from him and allowed her hair to fall in front of her face as a curtain to hide her features from his eyes.

Kurama sighed helplessly.  Perhaps he was over reacting.

"Geez, Minamino, you've got a perfect girlfriend and you don't even treat her right," Koji Watanabe said. He was a pretty close friend to Kurama, but wasn't spiritually aware enough to join the yu yu gang. He didn't believe in demons.  Koji slung an arm around Seyumi.  "See, he can't handle it. I can."

"I appreciate your consideration, but I'm capable of doing things for myself," Seyumi said curtly.

Kurama bristled slightly.  "Koji, I was only teasing her.  Go away."

"Aw, don't get your panties in a twist, there. I was teasing too." Koji grinned and winked at Seyumi as he moved into his own seat.

"I'm sorry," Kurama murmured to her.

_I know you didn't mean it, but I'm not in too good of a mood this morning,_ Seyumi replied telepathically.  _I'm sorry I didn't just throw them away like you do._

_I won't deny you of your fun, but sometimes I . . ._ Kurama began, thinking, but knew that Seyumi was reading his thoughts.

I feel the same way too. You're popular and all these stupid human girls are going crazy for you. I feel bad sometimes.

_I wouldn't betray you.  I didn't fight Hiei in a Match of Ownership and nearly kill him just to betray you. I care for you too much to harm you._

Seyumi smiled briefly.  

"Now, class, settle down," the teacher said, rapping his grade book on the podium.  "As you know, quarter finals are coming up and only Suiichi Minamino has managed to maintain his average.  _His_ average is over a hundred to be of truth. He has a 150.3 average to be precise. {Kurama buried his head in his folded arms at the mention of his too-perfect grade. He hated to have teachers show him off) All you others have been rising and falling."  He looked at Seyumi.  "I don't expect much of you. You're new and we might be going too fast for you."  He glared up at the class.  As for all of you, you have no excuse.  Now, I'm telling you now.  We aren't taking a final test."

The students straightened. So far, it was brightening.

"But," the teacher continued.  "We're having a project that will count as a quarter of your entire average. It can kill you, or it can help you.  You can have partners. You can have up to 4 people in your group or you can choose to work alone.  As you know, we've learned of how the samurai died out.  Give me a report, poster—anything that tells more about it.  The rubric for this is—"

There was a knock on the door as an office attendant came in and handed the teacher the note.  The teacher read it.  "Minamino-san, Hiratsuka-san, they need you in the office.  Someone is here to check you out. It says that you're going to be out of school for a week at the least to attend a funeral." He looked at the two of them who were confused by it.  "My sincerest apologies.  You may be excused."

"That isn't fair! They have extra time for the project!" someone protested.

"They will take the final when they return. Understand?"  

Kurama and Seyumi both nodded and left to drop their book in their lockers.

"Who would call for us to be out of school?" Seyumi asked leaning against a locker beside the one Kurama was putting his things into.

"I haven't a clue." He took Seyumi's hand as they walked into the office.  They saw Botan sitting in a waiting chair wearing human clothes.  Her hair was tied up with a matching ribbon. She turned at the sound of the office door opening.  "You're here!"

Kurama nodded to the attendant. "Might we speak alone?"  The attendant nodded and led them to an empty conference room.  

"Botan! What's the matter?" Kurama said, placing his hands on the table separating him from Botan.

"Hiei has been found in Makai."

"That's great!" Seyumi said excitedly. 

Kurama looked closer at Botan's worried expression.  "I sense that something else is the matter.  Why would you send _us_ to Makai just to meet him?  That's more of a job for Yusuke."

"That's just the problem." Botan twisted the hem of her jacket nervously.  "Both of you are demons and won't cause much of a ruckus in Makai, but from the report, something has happened to Hiei.  It wouldn't be safe for Yusuke to go since he is inexperienced in demon affairs."

"On the contrary, he's done well," Kurama corrected.

"Yeah, but I'd feel safer if you were going.  Yusuke gets sidetracked too easily, even without things like the Black Mortality.  For all we know, the Black Mortality made Hiei turn into a zombie or something worse.  You have to go to get him back."

"Why must Seyumi come along on such a dangerous mission?"

Seyumi narrowed her eyes at him.

"For two reasons: one, she'll argue, two, she'll be able to sense things a moment before you.  As you know, even a second matters in Makai.  Meet me at Genkai's temple as soon as possible and we'll arrange everything," Botan said.


	5. Hiei the human

"Open your eyes."

Hiei wanted nothing more than to ignore the low, harsh voice and return to the soothing darkness.

"Open your eyes! Now! You obey me now, worthless human."

Hiei opened his crimson eyes and met the violet gaze of the lithe demon before him.  The demon looked somewhat familiar, but he couldn't think why.

The demon grinned at the confused expression on Hiei's face.  His violet eyes glittered malevolently.  "Who am I?" he asked Hiei.

Hiei's eyes widened as he tried to remember.  He slowly shook his head and replied in a wavering voice.  "I-I don't know."

"Good," the demon said with approval.  "It worked.  You will refer to me as Lord Zen, My Lord, or anything like that.  You will call me nothing short of it.  _Your_ name is Hiei, but as a human, you are my slave therefore I call you whatever I wish."

"I'm a what?" Hiei asked in amazement.

"Human.  If it makes you feel any better, I shall explain.  I turned the progress of your energy that was leading to a stronger demon level backwards.  It caused you to weaken.  You are now the equivalent of a pitiful human being.  I was generous enough to leave you with your speed and the knowledge of swordsmanship.  Other than that, you don't know anything," Zen said, grinning at his genius for what he had done to Hiei.

Hiei's erased thoughts struggled for a second to grasp the concept of what Zen had said.  "So . . .I was once a demon?" he murmured unsurely.

Zen narrowed his eyes.  Even though Hiei knew nothing, he was still able to grasp things quickly.  He would have to watch his wording around Hiei.  If he did this, Hiei would make a perfect slave.  "Don't question me," Zen replied at last.  "You are a human.  _My_ human slave, do you understand?"

"Yeah."  Hiei sat up and pushed back the white highlights in his hair out of his eyes.

"_WHAT?!_" Zen demanded, grasping the front of Hiei's torn shirt.

"Yes, Lord Zen," Hiei corrected.  He knew he should've felt afraid of Zen, but for some reason he wasn't.

Zen eyed him and grinned.  "You learn fast.  You'll be able to work as an equal if you do well enough."  He handed Hiei a short sword.  "Here."  He watched with amusement as Hiei looked at it in confusion.

"I don't think I know how to use one of these, My Lord," he murmured.

"Don't worry about it.  When the time comes, you'll know how to use it. Now go to the front gate.  You will work as a soldier protecting this city.  Outsiders will tell you the correct password to enter or exit.  The word is death.  Understand?"

"Yes, Lord Zen."  Hiei sheathed the sword in a fancy move.  He did it twice, amazed at what he was able to do.  He followed a small lower class demon to the front gate.

Zen chortled and turned to leave the chamber.  "If I could only find Youko, I'd be doing well.  If I can't, then I will resort to finding over a thousand other demons."

"What will you do to Youko once you do find him?" Sai asked from the hallway.

Zen touched his shoulder in a brotherly way.  "You will see.  I will have this demon to be in a far more hellacious position.  He's clever from the millennia he's lived, but I'll drain it out of him while he's awake.  Without numbing the pain, of course."  He beamed at the faint smile on Sai's face.  "Come along.  We have much to do."

The two demons continued down the hall.  Zen stopped and turned to face a female demon that was nearly half his lanky height.  She had the same violet eyes, but her hair was raven black.  "What do you want?  It isn't the place of a female to interfere in this," he snapped at her.

"In what? Reducing our own species to nothing just for your own selfish wants.  I enjoy the fact that our saints can be resurrected, but what good will it be if they don't have enough people to rule?  They'll be furious."

"We will have enough souls to resurrect the race.  With Youko's soul, well have enough power in the Black Mortality to resurrect the saints, and kill them all again in succession."

"You won't get his soul.  He's not going to fall for any stupid trap you set.  Even if he _is_ injured beyond healing, you know how animal spirits are.  The more they are injured, the more lethal they become."

"Then we'll break into Ningenkai and get human souls."

Zen smirked.  "You've become to soft, Rhianon.  You've tended to all the victim's wounds.  You're going to drown in your pool of sympathy that you've created for them."

Rhianon swung her braided hair over her slim shoulders and gave her brother a paralyzing stare, challenging his.  "I don't feel sympathy for the worthless  lower class demons that you turn to ningen, but that one was a fire demon still in his prime."  She gestured out the way Hiei had left.  "He hasn't reached his full potential yet.  If you had kept him and showed him respect and care, his soul would have been almost as powerful as Youko's.  He didn't deserve what he got!"

Zen scowled at her.  "He destroyed the saints.  What part of this do you not understand? I alone have the power to restore them to their rule."

"Ha," Rhianon scoffed.  "Without the Black Mortality, the most you can do is whine while you admire yourself in the mirror."

"It was _I_ who stole the Black Mortality in the first place!"

"With _my_ help.  I found the weak point and brought down the barrier with my own hands."  She held up her hands and waved them in his face.  "I didn't use a spellbook.  Once someone breaks the barrier, even a human child could steal it.  Reikai intelligence isn't as smart as they claim they are."

Zen raised his hands to wrap them around her slender neck and lowered them.  "If it wasn't the fact that I need your help with things, I would kill you."  He turned and walked off.

Rhianon went off to the courtyard and watched Hiei.  She smiled.  _Such wasted potential._


	6. Forgotten

Thank you for those of you who reviewed.  Sorry I hadn't updated in a while! 

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Rubble covered the warehouse floor.  And evil presence seemed to hover about the room like fog.  A hole the size of a swimming pool was in the middle of the wreckage.  A hazy green light floated up from it.

"Here it is," Botan replied in a cheerless tone.  She looked at Kurama and Seyumi with concern.  "There's no telling what kind of demon possessed enough power to do that to a well protected barrier, well, apart from you, Kurama.  You managed to break through it too."

Kurama said nothing.  "When I broke the barrier, it was old from no one using.  This one was a new barrier."

"All we have to do is find Hiei?" Seyumi asked uncertainly.

"Yes.  You _could_ find who did it, but Hiei needs to be brought back immediately before he worsens," Botan said.

"We'll be back by midnight, if not sooner," Kurama assured.  He took Seyumi's hand and leaped into the hole.

Botan watched them and suddenly remembered that she had forgotten to give them a communicator incase there was an emergency.  "Oopsie," she murmured meekly.

~~~*

Kurama landed with cat like grace on one knee.  Seyumi did more or less the same and stood beside him, looking around Makai in awe.  "Where in Makai are we?" she asked.

"It looks like the City of Ghosts and Apparitions, but it wasn't in ruins when Hiei and I came here on our first group mission," Kurama answered, following her gaze.  Over half of the city before them had collapsed into rubble.

Seyumi shivered.  "It doesn't feel right.  I can feel a sort of pulse here . . .dead and cold."

Kurama put an arm around her to comfort her.  "That's how Makai feels.  You'll get used to it.  That's why most demons are cold hearted."  He looked around with a steady gaze, his sharp eyes taking in every aspect.  He paused.  "Is that Hiei?!"

Seyumi saw Hiei's familiar profile but his headband was gone, revealing his Jagan eye.  Instead of the usual cold and calculating look on his face, it was passive. Apart from the Jagan, he looked so humanely normal, that it was scary.  "What's wrong with him?"

They walked towards him, watching their step among the rocks and metal rods.  "Hiei," Kurama replied sharply.  He moved Seyumi protectively behind him.

Hiei looked up at the fox, blinking with innocent confusion.  "How do you know my name?"

"What do you mean?" Kurama exclaimed in confusion.  He wondered if Hiei was acting this way because he was with Seyumi.  Maybe Hiei was only acting out of jealousy.  "Let's take a different approach.  Do you know Seyumi?"  He moved slightly to present Seyumi.

Hiei studied the exotic beauty Seyumi offered.  Her silver hair floated in the breeze, making her look like a fallen angel.  His jaw dropped in awe.  Her beauty was breath taking.  He closed his mouth and studied her more.  His brows wrinkled in confusion.  "Am. . .am I supposed to?" he asked tentatively.

"Yes, you are! Why don't you know us?  Don't play with our minds."  He looked at Seyumi who gripped his hand.

"Do you sense his Spirit Energy?  At first, I thought it was because we were in Makai, but if he _was_ playing with our minds, it requires Spirit Energy to make it more effective.  He isn't emitting enough energy to do this."  Her cobalt eyes widened.  "The Black Mortality!"

"You mean he's human now?"

"There's no other way."  She stepped forward.  "Hiei, who's your sister?"

Hiei scowled, looking more like his normal self.  "Damn you, woman! I don't have a sister! Quit trying to get in this place by confusing me!  Say the password or I'll kill you both!"

"We don't have the password.  You'll have to kill us," Seyumi replied in a flat tone. 

 Hiei pulled out his sword.  It looked strange with him.  It almost looked too big for him to handle! He ran at her with lightning speed.

"Seyumi, what are you doing?" Kurama asked. 

"Trust me with this."  She took out her knife and blocked Hiei's blows.  _That's strange.  He's human, but he still has his speed and his movements are normal,_ she thought as she pushed the sword from a lethal degree to her neck.  _The sword must be too heavy for him.  He's used to a katana, even if he is a human._  She dodged out of the way of another awkward blow and used her Spirit Energy to take the sword from Hiei.  She threw it aside and used another blast of Spirit Energy to force Hiei a good distance away.

"Hiei, stop it. I don't want to hurt you," Seyumi insisted.

Hiei pulled out a dagger and went to her again.  Seyumi blocked a thrust to her side and caught his wrist.  She twisted his wrist hard enough to make him drop it.

He moved from her and clutched his wrist.  "You're an evil being from hell!"

"No, I'm a half demon. Part apparition, part demon, now stop trying to kill us and sit still!" Seyumi snapped, her voice commanding.  

Hiei stopped and stared at her.  Kurama moved closer incase he needed to do anything.

"Hiei, listen to me.  What do you remember?" Seyumi insisted.

"Nothing! I-I barely know my name! I don't know where I am, or why I can use that metal thing. I don't even know what the hell it is!"  

Seyumi took his hand gently, but firmly, and held up the onyx ring she had given him.  Hiei inspected the gleaming ring on his hand.  "Even this?  This is _nothing_ to you?" she asked, sounding hysterical.

"I don't know!"  He squirmed out of her grasp.

"Seyumi," Kurama replied gently.  He took her hands away from Hiei.  "He doesn't know.  Let him be."

Seyumi shook her head, feeling tears rise to her eyes. "I can't believe it.  It's all gone.  If he can't remember anything, there's no way we can save him from staying human forever.  Even if we do get the Black Mortality, he'll only be a demon with no knowledge of anything."

"Wait."  Hiei stopped trying to back away and stared more fully at the onyx ring.  "I think I do remember something."  He looked at Kurama.  "You.  You and I were fighting over something.  I think I acted stupidly over it and somehow, I hurt myself."  He touched his right arm.  "I burned it, but it's gone."

"He must mean the Dragon of the Darkness Flame technique," Seyumi whispered.  "There's hope after all.  Luckily you're stubborn."  She grinned.  "Your stubborn will saved you."

"You mean you can help me understand who I am?" Hiei asked hopefully.

"Yes, but it won't be pleasant.  I'll do what I can, though."

"Do what you need to," Kurama said, meeting her uncertain gaze.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

**Pretty please review!**


	7. Memories

Disclaimer:  I don't own anything.  I would like to, but I don't. Thanks for the reviews! 

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Seyumi bit her lower lip and studied Hiei, wondering if the best way to help Hiei was going to be worth it.

"Please, I don't care if it's going to leave me scarred for life.  I _have_ to know what and who I am," Hiei insisted, gripping her hand.

"Alright, alright.  Your Jagan eye was artificially attached so you'll have to relive the pain.  I think they had to drill through your skull to have the Jagan eye able to enhance your abilities.  Are you positive you want this?" Seyumi asked.

Hiei seemed to stiffen.  "Yeah," he said at length.

"You might want to sit down."

Hiei sat, Seyumi sat beside him.  "Think about anything you can remember, even what I'm saying now.  You'll feel pain, but it's to be expected after what you've undergone in your life."  She pressed her fingers lightly to his temples.  She took a slow breath, steadying herself for what she was also going to have to endure. She allowed her Reiki to flow into Hiei's mind, unlocking the memories that Zen had only locked away.

**~*~** **FLASHBACK~*~**

Hiei was lying on a long operating table.  A bright light shined down on him from above, blinding his vision.  He moved his arm to shield his eyes when he realized that his arms and wrists were bound to the table.  His feet and waist had been strapped down too.  The light moved away, allowing him to see that a demon doctor stood at the tableside.

"I see you noticed the bindings," the doctor said in a wispy voice.  "They're to keep you from clawing your eyes out from the pain.  We've had it happen so many times, you know."

Hiei squinted at the doctor.  A surgical mask covered the Makai doctor's face.  He slipped a pair of rubber surgical gloves with a snap.  "See these?" he asked, showing Hiei a pair of earplugs. "You'll probably scream so loud that my eardrums would burst.  Would you like a pair?  That would just be one less thing to have traumatically ruined on you."

"Hn.  You'll hear nothing from me!"

The doctor laughed.  "That's what they all say and somehow nearly all of my patients have died from the pain. They would either die from shock, blood loss, screaming until their vocal chords burst . . .I wonder how you'll die.  Oh well.  The operation will start . . .NOW!"

Hiei looked up to see a robotic arm come slowly at him.  The arm had three sharp points on it.  At a high speed, it was going to drill a perfect circle.  "Shit," he muttered.  "What was I thinking?"

Yukina.  Think about Yukina.  You're doing this for her so don't chicken out like a human!

"You really want this?" the doctor asked once more.

"Yeah."

"Good!  It would've been too late anyway!" the doctor cackled too cheerfully.  He rapidly typed commands in a computer that ran the robotic arm.  The arm began to spin, gaining a high speed.

The arm reached the curve of Hiei's forehead.  The pain was overwhelming.  The sound of metal grinding bone and marrow echoed in the fire demon's ears.  The doctor cackled happily as if this was the best sound in the world.  Hiei saw stars and felt sick all at once.

Yukina.  Think about her.  Keep her in mind.  You're doing this for her. Remember that.

The pain was worse now.  He closed his eyes as he felt a warm liquid drip down the sides of his face and down his cheeks.  Somehow he managed to escape the stage of shock from the amount of loss blood and the mental breakdown from holding the pain back.

Yukina . . .I won't forget you.  I'm going to watch over you and protect you.  I know you'll forget me, but at least I'll be there for you.

Then there was darkness.

~*~ **END FLASHBACK** ~*~

Seyumi pulled her hands from Hiei's temples and pressed them to her own.  Her eyes were shut tightly.  She shuddered bowed her head.  "The pain . . .how did you handle it?!  My head is on fire!  Get the blood off of me!"  She felt the excruciating pain thud in her own head.  

Kurama held her, stroking her hair to calm her as he usually did.  "It isn't real, they're Hiei's memories.  You're fine."  He pressed his lips gently to her forehead, trying to force the memories out of her head by sheer will power.

Seyumi gradually stopped shuddering.  "It was bad, worse than the death seeds!"  She touched the scars that crisscrossed her pale arms.  "And I thought the pain from those were bad."

"Yukina," Hiei muttered, making the water apparition and the fox look at him.  "Who's Yukina?  Is she my girl friend, or my mother. . .who?"

"You have more memories, don't worry.  You'll see," Seyumi answered, replacing her grip on Hiei's head.

~*~ **FLASHBACK ~*~**

The two of them were so small.  Both of them barely knew how to walk, but their will and their demon bloodline gave them the ability to have survived for over a week alone in the wilderness.  Yukina stopped and began crying.  She had been doing this less and less lately, but she was barely a year old.  

"I want Mommy!" she sobbed in her childish voice.

"Mommy left us.  She doesn't want us anymore," Hiei replied flatly.  He sat by his sister and patted her on the shoulder.  He was maybe two at the most and already his child heart was hardened to stone.  The only thing that made him feel sadness was his sister's need for her mother.

"Why, Heeya?  Why Mommy don't want us?" Yukina asked, reaching to hug her brother.  She wasn't even able to pronounce Hiei's name yet either!

"I don't know"

Later that night, the two of them fell asleep under the boughs of a tree, shielding them from the rain.  Hiei awakened to Yukina's screams.

"Heeya! Heeya!" she cried.  A demon carried her away, striking her to keep her silent.

Hiei did nothing.  At two, all he could do was spark a blade of grass on fire and cry.  He chose to cry in frustration.  This was the first and last time in his life that he had seriously cried.  

~*~ **END FLASHBACK **~*~

On and on it went.  Hiei relived every major in minor thing in his life except for his past previous to Yukina's kidnap.  That part of his memories seemed to be locked away for good. At last Seyumi let go, seeing Hiei's memories swarm in her mind.

"Seyumi, how can I repay you?" Hiei asked.

"Next time you're feeling pretty bad, talk to the person. Don't use the Dragon of the Darkness flame technique to try and erase it."

Hiei blushed, realizing that she had seen what he had done to ease his heartbreak when Seyumi and Kurama got together.  "So I'm cured now?"

"Unfortunately, you're still human.  Your demon soul was taken, but you still have your mind."

"Dammit.  When I get my hands on Zen, he's going to wish that his soul was sent to hell."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Well, I updated so here you go! I try to update this every Saturday since I have most of this fic written down.  If any of you have read Silent Whisper of Roses, then you realize how often I update that.  That's because I type that up straight from my mind.  For this story (soul requisition of course!) I have to look for my notebook and type.

That was probably kind of useless to know . . .ah well! Review pretty please and hopefully another chapter will be up soon!


	8. Homeward Bound

I only own Zenchi, Sai, Rhianon and Seyumi.  Other than that, I don't own anything.

"Zenchi, I think something's wrong with your new slave," Sai said, lifting his eyes from a recent victim to look into the horizon.

"What are you talking about?" Zen demanded, watching the soul of the slain demon get absorbed into the heart of the Black Mortality.  "What makes you think there's something wrong?"

"Why would Rhianon be coming towards us with that smile on her face.  Something must have happened."  Sai pointed to his sister who was walking with a spring in her step.  The spring wasn't part of her usual grace, but it was mocking.

Zen noticed the mocking step and put the book in a pouch hanging on the sash around his waist.  "Come to interfere yet again?" he spat at her.

Rhianon slowed to a stop and narrowed her violet eyes.  She battled his gaze and shrugged.  "Okay, I'll leave.  You don't want to know of your human slave, then."

"What are you talking about?"

"Well, there's good and bad news, but you don't want me to _interfere_, so good bye."  She turned and began walking towards the city.

"Rhianon, stop," Zen said slowly.

"Why?"

"Tell me what happened."

Rhianon seemed to think over it.  "No."

"Why the hell not?!"

She gave him a mock look of surprise.  "Oh, I don't know.  You haven't been very nice of me."

"You . . .urgh! Forget it!  Go away!  I have important business to attend to!" Zen turned to Sai.  "We need to find stronger demons and we'd be done in half the time it is taking."  He glanced over his shoulder.  "Have you not left yet?"

"Nope."

"Do so.  _Now_."

"Oh no, I'm much too frightened to return," Rhianon replied, faking a helpless and frightened look.

Zen raised an eyebrow.  His handsome face softened from anger to suspicion.  He knew his sister too well.  "What is it?"

Rhianon flashed him an innocently sweet smile.  "Hiei's rescuer is _very_ intimidating.  He's very powerful, not to mention cute."

"DON'T TOY WITH ME!"

"Youko isn't one to get on the wrong side of."  She darted off, dancing around in a childish way, just to tease her brother.

"Youko?  Youko is _here_? Now?  Come, Sai.  We need his soul."

"Yes, Zenchi, I know this.  You keep babbling this over and over," Sai sighed wearily.

"Don't rebuke me!  I have no time for your insolence."  Zen sped away to the front gate.  "Hiei!" he cried angrily.

Kurama, and Hiei jumped at the unexpected outburst.  Seyumi looked weakly at Zen and looked away.

"Have these two spoken the password?" Zen asked.

"Sure.  Whatever you say, _my lord,_" Hiei replied, twisting the last two words to sound sarcastic.

Zen glared at him.  "Then, what is the password?" he asked Kurama.

Kurama glanced at Hiei.  Hiei smirked and leaned closer to the fox.  "Psst! The password is Death!" he whispered loudly.

Rhianon, positioned close enough to be within hearing range, laughed.  She caught Hiei's gaze and grinned at him.  Hearing him tease Zen was almost as fun as doing it herself."

"Death?" Kurama replied, making it sound like a question.

Zen was seething with anger.  It was a rule.  You couldn't execute the people that came to the gate that spoke the password.  "Can the girl speak?  If she is unable to speak, I have a right to kill her."

Kurama, who had been allowing Seyumi to lean against him with is arm around her shoulders, tightened his grip a few centimeters.  A dark look passed over him.  He focused his laser-like gaze on Zen, allowing his eyes to speak for him.

At first, Zen flinched away from the piercing gaze.  "You can't talk either, eh?  Show your true self and fight me then."

"I choose to do no such thing.  It's pointless to fight someone like you."

"Then I'll change your mind, won't I?"  He raised his hands like a director.  "_Spirits of the earth arise, take form to obey my will!_"

Strange looking creatures came from the grass and trees and ground. "Attack!" Zen hissed to them, urging them towards Kurama who only smiled and shook his head.  "I have no intention to fight you."  he used his Reiki to make the spirits return to where ever they camefrom.

"Do you want me to kill that female of yours?"

"Only cowards could say such things.  She's tired and in no mood to protect herself.  Perhaps we will meet again in the future."  Kurama let his gaze sweep from Sai, Zen then to Rhianon who gazed at him with a rapt gaze of admiration.  Noting it, he looked away uncomfortably.  He turned and left with Seyumi still in his embrace and Hiei at his side.

"Thank goodness you're alive! I completely forgot to give you your communications!" Botan exclaimed with relief.  She hugged Hiei.  "You're safe!  Everyone thought you were dead!"

Hiei pushed Botan away after a moment of no resist.  "I wasn't gone for that long, was I?"

"Over a month," Seyumi replied softly.

"What made you thing I was dead?  I usually leave this long for training."

"You'll see.  We found your sword and some other things too.  Just see how Yukina's been feeling," Botan said, dragging Hiei to the temple.

**Is this boring anyone?  Anywayz, please review!**


	9. Beginnings of a Plan

                        At Genkai's Temple 

Hiei walked alone inside of the vast temple.  He stopped and looked before the alter where Yukina sat.  A pile of tear gems was on the floor.  She seemed to be gazing at something placed on the alter.  Hiei saw that his katana lay on it.  He blanched and nearly backed away from the impact of what Yukina must have been feeling.

"Hiei, why did you leave me?"  Yukina placed a bowl of rice on the alter as an offering to Hiei's memory.  "You said nothing would keep us apart, remember?"  

"Yes, I remember," Hiei answered, feeling his heart soften at her grief.  "Yukina, I'm right here.  I'm not dead."

Yukina turned.  A smile slowly formed on her tear-stained face.  "Hiei!  Is that really you?"

"Partly."  He went to kneel by his sister and give her a reassuring hug.  "Don't cry for me.  If I was really dead, there's no way I'd let you have a way to remember me."

"I couldn't forget you."

"Aw, isn't that sweet?" Yusuke's punk drawl came from the doorway.  He looked around in the chamber.  "I never thought I'd go _inside_ Genkai's temple," he replied thoughtfully.

"If I had been up your ass, maybe you would've known," Hiei retorted.

Yusuke grinned.  "Yeah, you're back."

"Are you sure you're okay with everything?"  Seyumi asked.

Hiei shrugged.  "At this point, I don't really have a choice."  He shuddered.  "Don't remind me of what I am.  It makes me want to kill everyone I know."

"What do you mean by that?  Don't tell me Mr. Badass turned gay," Yusuke asked with a suspicious grin.

Hiei glared daggers at him.  Yusuke held up his hands and took a step back.  "Whoa, I didn't mean it!  I was joking!"

"Hn."

"No, but seriously.  What did she mean?"

"I'm . . ._human_, now.  My demon soul was taken."

"That's odd," Kurama remarked suddenly.  "Now that I think of it, no one can live without a soul.  How are you alive?"

Hiei shrugged again.  "I don't know; I was unconscious!"

"That's not a good sign.  Perhaps that demon replaced your demon soul with a human one."  Kurama grimaced.  "It doesn't sound like an enjoyable process."

"Tell me something I didn't know," Hiei snapped.

~*~*~

Zen brutally slashed his sword into the heart of a lower-class demon and twisted it. Blood blossomed around the wound.  Sai grimaced at the sight.  "Calm down, he isn't going anywhere!" he said in alarm.

Zen glared at him.  "Be glad that it wasn't _you_ in its place." The soul of the demon escaped the body.  Zen touched the embroidered ruby on the cover of the Black Mortality.  The ruby flashed briefly, making the book open and capture the fleeing soul between its pages.  Zen shut the spell book and looked at the ruby.  The glow it emitted was dim.

He scowled.  "We're less than halfway through this!  Damn it all!"  His violet eyes scoured the wasteland.  

Said did the same thing with silent calculation.  "There won't be more wild demons or any Makai demon souls . . .unless . . ."

Zen glanced at him.  "Unless what?"

"Unless you slaughter the rest of the villagers and us."

"Us?"

"Rhianon and me.  If that isn't enough, then Ningenkai is always open for attack."  Sai frowned.  "But humans have very low Reiki.  It'll take about 5 human souls for every average demon."

"I'll do anything it takes, no matter what."

Sai's eyes widened.  "Even kill _me_?"

Zen grinned and reached out to tousle the blonde hair.  "No, you've been loyal to me.  You'll live to see the Resurrection.  Rhianon, on the other hand . . ." he scowled.  "She is a traitor.  I will kill her without a moment's hesitation."

"You _can't_ kill her.  You promised on Mother's deathbed that you keep her alive."

"I know this."  He gazed into the distance where the city lay.  "Sometimes she acts so much like Mother that it makes me want to slit her throat at times.  She's always taunting me. . .testing me, just as mother did."

"Mother never taunted you.  Anyway, Rhianon's the only one left.  You and I don't have it."

Zen looked back at him.  "Have _what_, exactly?"

"The genes from Mother.  Mother was the only one who was able to master Reiki attacks and healing.  I mean, even conjuring or expelling souls.  She kept the remains of our village safe."  Sai's voice began to tremor.  It was forbidden to speak his mind infront of Zen.  "I think that if you treated Rhianon well, the Black Mortality would've been filled along time ago."  

He flinched as Zen lifted his hand menacingly towards him.  He opened his eyes a fraction to find his brother smirking.

"Your mind works well.  That's why I keep you with me and teach you what I know.  You gave me an idea.  Rhianon _does_ have her ways to manipulate the mind."  He walked towards the ruins of the once prosperous city.


	10. Threats

Insert typical disclaimer X.  As you know, I only own the OC characters: Zen, Rhianon, Sai and Seyumi.

**I'm sorry I hadn't updated in forever, but I've been busy!  I usually update this every Saturday or every other Saturday.  Sorry and please review!**

**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

Rhianon sat on the almost completely destroyed walls of the outer city.  She strummed absent-mindedly on the small harp.  She saw Zenchi and Sai walking towards the wall.  She shook her hair from her eyes.  "Sai, can you tell me if this chord sounds out of tune to you?"  She plucked two strings.

Sai cocked his head.  "The higher note is a little flat."

Rhianon fixed the string and strummed the chord once again.  Sai nodded to show that the chord was now in tune.  "Thank you, Sai.  This thing gets out of tune so easily.  I don't have the ear to fix it though," Rhianon complemented. 

Sai smiled.  His sister always said nice things to him.  Zen only pushed him to do what _he_ wanted.

"What do you want, Zen.  This isn't a place for an 'all powerful demon' to interfere," Rhianon snapped, turning her attention to the taller demon.  

"I need you to earn your keep," Zen said easily.

Rhianon said nothing and raised an eyebrow.  She stopped strumming the harp.   "I already earned my keep.  I broke through the barrier.  What else can't you do?"

"Youko."

"What about him?"

"Lure him here.  You're skilled with your energy techniques.  Seduce him."

"First of all, I hate you.  Why the hell would I do this for you without getting something in return.  Second, killing Youko is only going to leave you cursed.  Fox demons mark death on their murderer's soul.  Lastly, I don't find Youko to my liking.  Besides,"  She paused, enjoying the bitter look on Zen's face.  "That female is Youko's lover.  He won't be swayed."

Zen's eyes flashed angrily.  "Do it or I'll kill you."

"That's an empty threat.  You're too weak and if you used the book, it would waste energy."

"Maybe so.  But I _do_ have an ace up my sleeve."

Zen never played fair.  Rhianon waited for him to finish his thought.

"Hiei Jaganshi…"  Zen touched the ruby on the Black Mortality.  A light shined from the jewel, forming into an image of the fire demon.  "As you know, Hiei is human.  You also know how short the life expectancy is.  They may life to 96 at the most.  Here's my proposal."

He moved his hand from the ruby.  The image of Hiei vanished.  "Seduce the fox demon and bring him here.  If you don't, I'll speed up the aging process for Jaganshi.  He'll die within a few days."

"Why can't you leave them alone?!  You're just jealous!"

"Of _what_?"

"Their skills.  Your eyes have been on Hiei every since you learned he was able to use the Underworld techniques without dying."

Zen seemed to bristle.  "No.  He only poses as a threat to the saints.  Actually, I'm doing this because you're fond of him."

"I'm not fond of a demon who associates with worthless humans."

"Oh, then I believe you've just given me permission to kill him."

Rhianon scowled.  "I'm only going to do this because it will amuse me to see Hiei kill you as a human."  She stormed off, carrying her harp with her.         


End file.
